I May Owe Floyd Mayweather an Apology Now That He's Facing Shane Mosley

I don’t consider myself a Floyd Mayweather hater. When he’s fighting regularly, I think he’s the best boxer in the world at any weight.

That doesn’t mean that I cheer for him though. In fact, with the exception of his fight with Oscar De La Hoya, I think I’ve pulled for the other guy in all of Floyd’s last six or seven fights.

I’m certainly not alone, and I’m pretty sure Mayweather is alright with that. Irritated by the lack of recognition he was getting while piling up wins early in his career, he gradually came to embrace the bad boy role.

There’s been a lot of debate about how much of his villain persona is Floyd’s natural personality and how much is a carefully crafted act, but in the end, it really doesn’t matter. Sports are a lot more interesting when there are compelling people to root against, and for me, Mayweather fits the bill perfectly.

Despite that, I’ve tried to be as objective and open-minded as possible. But I’ll admit to being swayed by the anti-Mayweather crowd—a vocal group, to be sure—when it comes to the quality of opposition that Money has chosen to face.

It’s not because of a lack of big names. Along with the aforementioned De La Hoya, Mayweather has faced and beaten Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, and the late Arturo Gatti all within the past five years.

That hasn’t satisfied Floyd’s critics. Their complaints have run the gamut from too old (De La Hoya) to too small (JMM and Hatton) to just plain not good enough (Gatti). At times, I’ve agreed with them.

Mayweather is under no obligation to please me or anyone else with his choices. He’s earned the right to fight whoever he wants, and it’s on us, the fans, to decide if we want to watch.

Floyd is always worth watching, but the idea that he’s been content to take on slightly less than the toughest challenges out there is a valid one. I know I’ve felt that way on several occasions and been frustrated because it’s deprived us of some really great matchups.

With the announcement that Mayweather has agreed to fight Shane Mosley on May 1, I may be forced to change my tune. Setting aside the disappointment of being deprived the opportunity to see Floyd take on Manny Pacquiao, you have to admit this is an excellent consolation prize.

Sugar Shane is as legitimate as they come. He’s got hands that are almost as fast as Mayweather’s and probably has more power to boot. He’s boxed hundreds of rounds as a pro, many against top notch competition.

Floyd’s detractors will probably be quick to point out that Mosley is 38 and hasn’t stepped in the ring since January of last year. Both of those things are true, but that last bout happened to feature one of the most impressive performances of Shane’s career, a nine-round thrashing of Antonio Margarito.

Is it possible that Mayweather simply outclasses Mosley like he has so many others? Sure.

Would it have been great to see this fight a few years ago, when Shane was a little bit younger and Floyd had yet to enter his brief retirement? Of course.

But that’s nitpicking. On paper, at least, this seems like a great fight, the kind that I’ve chided Mayweather for not making in the past.

Mosley is one of my favorite boxers, so come May 1, I’ll be rooting against Mayweather once again. It’s just that this time, I’ll have fewer doubts about his willingness to face the toughest guys out there.

And if he goes on to face Pacquiao in the fall, I’ll truly have to say I’m sorry.

Nick Tylwalk is the editor and co-founder of BoxingWatchers.com . Follow his Twitter feed @Nick_Tylwalk .